Number 28/Aaron's Car
Aaron calls Elly on the way to Silverton and mentions Chloe said something "full on" to him. Elly breathes a sigh of relief when she realises Chloe didn't spill their secret - only that she thinks Aaron shouldn't look for Mark because he'll keep hurting Elly. Aaron says he's going to find Mark, but whatever happens next is up to Elly.

ELLY: I have to know he's okay.
AARON: Would you still marry him if he came back?
ELLY: Let's just find him and we'll figure everything else out.

Harold's Café
Leo bumps into Piper and they talk about Sonya's memorial. Leo also says that Piper's IWD vlog was really good. Piper mentions she's got a big day at work tomorrow and Leo offers to help her out - there's only so much he can do to keep busy at the Backpackers.

PIPER: Leo why don't you just go back to work?
LEO: I'm supposed to be on stress leave and seeing Dad and Terese; it's not exactly good for my stress levels.
PIPER: You do know that you're going to have to make a real effort at some point to push through all of this.
LEO: I am making an effort. I'm being civil.
PIPER: You have to have a real think about the sort of relationship you want to have with my mum, and your dad. Because what you're doing right now, just being civil, that's not a long-term fix.

Piper says goodnight to Leo, leaving him with something to mull over.

Silverton/Number 26
The next morning, Aaron arrives in the outback town of Silverton, NSW. He calls David to let him know he arrived safely, although David's concerned he drove all night without resting. Aaron plans to look around town for Mark, which shouldn't be too hard since the place is tiny. David says Mark's lucky to have a brother like Aaron.

Aaron traipses around town, calling into businesses and flagging down cars to show people a photo of Mark on his phone, but no one appears to have seen him.

Number 28
Chloe pops in and reassures Elly she's not there to talk about what happened between them. Rather she wants to ease the burden of all the cancellations Elly has to make for the wedding tomorrow by helping with phone calls. Chloe's surprised when Elly says she's not cancelling anything.

ELLY: I'm going to try and keep an open mind and hear what Mark says first.
CHLOE: If Mark doesn't want to be found, he won't be.
ELLY: I can't just give up!
CHLOE: What happened to all that stuff you said about not chasing him anymore?
ELLY: I don't know, I guess it was in the heat of the moment.
CHLOE: That's usually when people are at their most honest.
ELLY: No, I should have been keeping a level head. Mark is grieving and in a bad place, and I know that you told Aaron to stop looking!

Chloe looks slightly guilty, but then says Elly deserves better than the way Mark's been treating her. Elly tries to say she appreciates Chloe looking out for her, but it's more than that to Chloe.

CHLOE: I am so sick of being so close and watching what he's doing to you. He keeps pulling away out of fear time and time again.
ELLY: He has a lot going on.
CHLOE: So? All this tragedy should be making him hold you tighter. You hate the way he shuts you out... You and Mark don't belong together. You weren't meant to be, and you know it.

Elly looks troubled by Chloe's words.

Harold's Café/Silverton
David's pleased to see Leo in his suit, looking chipper, but becomes wary when Leo says he's going back to work. Leo reasons that he's already lost Terese, he doesn't want to lose his job too.

LEO: Work is work and we're all professionals. I just need to leave that rubbish at the door.
DAVID: All right... well good for you for dragging old Leo back from the brink.
LEO: I actually have Piper to thank; she kind of put things in perspective.
DAVID: I've been trying to kick you up the backside for two weeks! What did she do that I couldn't?
LEO: She wasn't my annoying twin brother!

David receives a call from Aaron, both he and Leo hoping it's good news about Mark. Aaron tells David that Mark's not in Silverton but he scored a lead from the museum manager. They saw someone matching Mark's description and found out he was staying at a caravan park thirty minutes out of town. Aaron's going to follow up on it.

Lakeview Caravan Park
Aaron pulls up out the front and heads into the office. He then treks through the caravan park, straight to an old van and knocks on the door. Mark answers; not looking too enthused at seeing his brother there.

Terese's Office
Leo's earlier bravado soon fades when Terese and Paul aren't on board with the idea of him coming back so soon. Paul says they're still dealing with Mrs Punt's lawsuit so it's best if Leo keeps his distance temporarily.

LEO: Right, so it's not about whether I'm okay or not, it's about keeping up an image for Lassiters.
PAUL: It's both actually.
TERESE: Leo, it wasn't that long ago you were so angry you lashed out.
LEO: That was before I decided to pull myself together. And I had a reason to be upset.
PAUL: But you still have that reason.
LEO: I'm trying to move on.
PAUL: And that's why the best way to do that is to stay on leave.

Leo wants to know how long he's supposed to be in this holding pattern for, but Paul gets a phone call and says he has to take it, not answering his son's question. Leo laughs humourlessly as his dad leaves and tells Terese at least he knows where everyone's priorities are.

The Penthouse
Elly steps out of the elevator and Paul says he was surprised to receive her call. She tells him that Mark's left town, but the real reason she wants to speak to Paul is because of Kate. Mark's never told her much about Kate, so Elly was hoping Paul would.

Lakeview Caravan Park
The brothers sit out the front of the van. Aaron tells Mark he texted Elly to let her know he was safe but wants to know why he wasn't returning her calls. Mark replies that he didn't know what to say to her; the grief of losing Sonya has overwhelmed him.

MARK: Last time I saw her I couldn't even look at her. And now the best friend that I ever had is gone.
AARON: Losing Sonya hurts, I get it. But it doesn't excuse the way you've been treating Elly. I mean running away on her and cancelling the wedding?
MARK: I can't, I can't get married.
AARON: Why? Tell me. You love Elly. You've always wanted to get married, settle down...
MARK: Seeing Toadie lose Sonya brought up everything that I felt when I lost Kate. I can't lose Elly. I can't risk it. Everyone that I love dies. I'm scared that Elly's going to be ripped away from me.

Mark forlornly says that he has to let Elly go.

The Penthouse
Elly's relieved to hear from Aaron that Mark's safe but there's still no word on whether he's coming home. Elly's also convinced that she'll never live up to Kate or the love she and Mark shared. Paul says Elly will drive herself mad thinking that way.

PAUL: You can't compete with a ghost. Kate's gone, so his image of her can never be tainted.
ELLY: Yeah but she just becomes more and more perfect to him as a memory.
PAUL: They were far from perfect I assure you. And it took them a long time to sort themselves out. A little bit like someone else, hey? The thing is, knowing Kate, the last thing she would want is for Mark never to move on. Kate's not your competition, but you do have to decide whether you can accept her place in his past and live with that.

Elly looks like she's got some decisions to make.

Lakeview Caravan Park
Mark asks how the memorial was and Aaron says it's exactly what Sonya would have wanted. Mark feels immense guilt for not being there but Aaron reminds him memorials are for the living - he can say goodbye in his own way, in his own time. When Mark asks how Aaron located him, Aaron shows him the witness protection file from Toadie's office that Piper found. Mark's stunned when he finds a letter addressed to him from Kate in amongst the files, dated June 2011. He wasn't allowed to receive mail and assumes it was passed onto Toadie from the Feds, and then Toadie forgot about it. Mark wants to open it but Aaron wonders if that's the smartest move right now.

Terese's Office
Paul is somewhat alarmed when Terese tells him that Ned cleared out his old files from Mel's office, but when Terese asks if anything's wrong, Paul brushes off her concerns. He then asks how Leo was after he left and Terese wonders if they made the right call keeping him away, after all he is making an effort. Paul understands but also knows that Leo's erratic behaviour could affect the business.

PAUL: I don't think his mind is clear for work yet, and what concerns me more is him being around us. I don't think he's ready for that yet either. I really don't want him to be hurt anymore than he has been.
TERESE: Yeah he's still pretty angry isn't he.
PAUL: He won't always be though. We have to do what's right for the business and for Leo right at this moment.

Terese says as long as it doesn't make things worse, reminding Paul that Leo has access to all of his confidential files and bank details. Paul doesn't think Leo would do that, but Terese isn't sure keeping Leo at arm's length will make things easier.

Lakeview Caravan Park
Aaron fetches them both a beer then Mark asks his brother to read Kate's letter for him.

AARON: Dear Mark, I miss you so much. There's nowhere in Erinsborough that doesn't remind me of you. Of us. And then I close my eyes and imagine what you must be going through, alone, cut off from the life you know and everyone you care about. I can't imagine your pain but I know you and I know it's your worst nightmare. I've started to accept now that I'll never see you again, but please find the strength to keep moving forward. No matter how frightened you are, never give in to despair. At some point in your new life you'll find love again. And when you do I hope you hold onto it as tightly as you can. We only get one life, Mark, and it's too short to waste on fearing what you might lose. I love you. I'll always love you. Kate.

Mark, who has been crying throughout, tells Aaron he's been an idiot. He loves Elly and he always will; he wants to spend the rest of his life with her. Aaron wraps his arm around Mark's shoulder and with a smile says, "you're telling the wrong person".

The Waterhole
Leo plays pool with Piper and says how humiliating it was to be turned away from work. Piper apologises for pushing him into it, but Leo says he needed it. At least he knows where he stands now. Terese and Paul walk in arm in arm, laughing, but they turn sombre when they notice Leo and make their way to the bar. Leo looks angry but doesn't appreciate the sympathy eyes from Piper either.

LEO: Stop looking at me like I'm a landmine ready to explode.
PIPER: I'm not!
LEO: Look, whatever I do, everyone thinks I'm doing it wrong. It hurts, but I can't be angry. If I want to party, I'm being reckless. And I can't go back to work.
PIPER: I get that. You know what? You're allowed to feel whatever you want to feel, whenever you want to feel it.

Piper wishes she could be more helpful, but Leo says it's been nice to have someone to vent to. Piper smiles and says to remember that good feeling as she kicks his butt at pool for the third time in a row.

Chloe walks in, on the phone to her mum. She tells Fay there isn't much point in flying down because she's pretty sure there won't be a wedding tomorrow. But Fay must insist because Chloe relents and says she'll pick her up from the airport in the morning. Elly emerges from the bathroom and shares an awkward look with Chloe before walking out, which makes Chloe sad.

Number 28
The next morning Elly opens a large box with her wedding flowers in it and starts to break down and cry. Much to her surprise, Mark walks through the door and apologises for the way he dealt with everything. Elly keeps crying as he talks.

MARK: I shouldn't have left you like I did. Seeing Toadie's life without Sonya, I couldn't go through that. I ran away because of how much I love you. I'm terrified of losing another person that I love. I can't lose you, Elly. I've never loved anyone the way that I love you. I want to walk down the aisle with you more than anything else in this world. Marry me, Elly.

Elly looks up at him through tear-filled eyes.